Scottish seafood companies eye up new business in North America

A five strong team of Scottish seafood companies is making its way across the Atlantic this week to show North America it’s business as usual as they head to Seafood Expo North America (SENA) with industry body, Seafood Scotland.

With Brexit on the horizon, North America provides opportunities for seafood businesses to expand within an existing market. Multiple meetings with buyers, retailers, hoteliers and chefs will take place at the three-day show, which is attended by over 22,000 seafood professionals from across North America and the rest of the world.

Seafood Scotland’s trade marketing manager, Clare MacDougall, who is responsible for the Scottish delegation and representation at the show, said: “We are always working with the industry to build on existing trade as well as attracting new business from emerging markets. SENA is a huge opportunity for companies to talk directly with those responsible for making purchasing and buying decisions about our world-class seafood.”

As part of its in-show activity, Seafood Scotland will host a series of cooking demos with Scottish chef, Mark Greenaway. Mark will take part in the Great Scottish Seafood Cook Off against a local Boston chef. Both chefs will use a variety of species including cod, langoustine, salmon, trout, crab and smoked salmon creating unique dishes representative of their signature style.

Seafood Scotland has also planned activity around the show which will see local restaurants feature Scottish seafood on their menus and will work with local retailers to promote the provenance and quality of going Scottish.

Clare adds: “This is our fifth year at SENA, and we like to do things a bit differently ensuring we engage with the market in new and exciting ways. For the past few months we have been working with influencers, retailers and restaurants in Boston, asking them to try out some of the wonderful Scottish seafood available in North America. Our aim is to increase the opportunities available to the industry and create further demand for our incredible variety of species.”

The Scottish seafood delegation heading to Boston includes Loch Fyne Oysters, the Scottish Salmon Company, Dawnfresh, Wester Ross and Scottish Seas with additional companies walking the show or hosting their own company pavilions.

Bill McKenzie, Director at Scottish Seas said: “Chefs and restaurants across the US have been particularly excited about our coordinated efforts to provide them with top quality catch from the North Sea under the Scottish Seas moniker. We have now established successful routes to market to import whitefish, such as cod and interest in ‘star’ species, such as langoustines, is also growing due to the uniqueness and high quality of the product. With this being our third time exhibiting at SENA, we’re looking to extend this interest further, reaching out to buyers and representatives at the show.”

Simon Briggs, Sales Director at Loch Fyne, said: “The US market offers huge potential for Scottish smoked salmon and SENA provides the opportunity for us to showcase the new Loch Fyne smoked salmon packaging and the exclusive Mey Selections smoked salmon range. At Loch Fyne our guiding principle is to present the best in authentic Scottish seafood with genuine provenance, single source Scottish salmon always smoked in the Highlands, whilst minimising our environmental impact. These factors are of significant importance in the North American market. As we return to SENA, we aim to further establish both brands and to continue to expand our distribution network in the US.”

Seafood Scotland will also be joined by popular Canadian chef, John Higgins. Originally from Scotland, Chef Higgins is an advocate for Scottish seafood and its success in the North American market. The former Buckingham Palace chef believes seafood from Scotland is some of the best produce available to chefs across the globe. He will join Mark Greenaway at a Scottish networking reception at The Kitchen at The Boston Public Market where a Scottish/US styled seafood ‘cook-off’ will entertain the guests.

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